Swelling, Choking Feeling In Neck?

For the last month I have had a swelling feeling in my neck..both side, below each sides of my jaw. ach week this is getting more pronounced and is actaully feeling like I am being choked somewhat 24 hours a day. It is driving me nuts.

It is not under the back of the jaw, more like half way out and under, kind of just above the adams apple.

When I mentioned this to a Rhuemetologist he felt my glands and said they weren't swollen and said it must be the fat uner my 55 year old neck. I said " really"...I've had that fat under there for about 8 years...and never felt swollen and choking. He said...ask your PCP about it.

It kind of hurts, sore feeling, definitely swollen feeling and like I said. I can't concentrate on anything. It feels like someone has their thumb and forefinger on there and they are sqeezing just enough to make me go...Hey. That's bothering me.

I do not have a sore inner throat and swallow okay. But my voice is a little more higher pitched each week as if it is starting to slightly feeling the strain.

Even before I develped a severe Respiratory Infection, I had felt like someone was gently squeezing my neck. I hated to wear a collar, or turtleneck, *all my life.

I I were you, I would ask for an Ultrasound of the Thyroid.

I had similiar problem for YEARS. Kept getting blown off by my docs. They all knew I had a goiter, but noone suspected mine was THAT BIG. Turns out, mine was RETROSTERNAL. Meaning it was growning below the collarbone, Causing Trachael Compression, and STRIDOR.

I had developed a serious upper respiratory infection, and was struggling to breath. Docs kept pooh-poohing it, some saying I had bronchitis, I knew I didn't. Trips to ER, complaining I am turning blue and tingly when falling asleep. They would give me nebulizer treatments. What a bunch of Jackasses. I kept telling them, no they were wrong. There was a SHELF in there, preventing me from coughing up huge amounts of bronchial crap.

I changed Endos and this one IMMEDIATELY knew what was wrong. The type of test to DX. this was called a FLOW VOLUME LOOP. Like a Spirometry, but done 3 times, in rapid succession. Yup, HUGE RETROSTERNAL GOITER, (was the size of an orange) and because it was below the collar bone, docs kept saying my goiter wasn't that big. (from physical exam).

So if YOU feel there is something being missed, like I did, keep presuring them. My new Endo LITERALLY saved my life, as my airway would collapse everytime I drifted off to sleep. I also needed awake intubation for my surgery, as my airway was so compromised.

Your problem may not be the same at all but wanted to put this out there.
[This Message was Edited on 11/06/2006]

I had a goiter and had my thyroid removed 4 yrs. ago. It was literally pressing on my brachial tubes and inhibiting my breathing. It was miserable until I got it out. Then fine since then, just have to take synthroid every day.

It wasn't as big as an orange, wow, you really suffered. Did you have yours out?

I hope you get this figured out soon. Keep at those darned docs. Your PCP is the best place to start. Good luck and I hope you'll keep us posted.

Yes, I had the right lobe removed. That was the huge side. My endo had ordered the entire gland removed, and that is what I expected would happen. But the surgeon made the desicion while he was in there, to keep the left lobe in. I have Autonomous Multi Nodular Goiter. The left side was enlarged and "grainy" not huge and bulbous like the right and as I had SO MUCH problems with Thyroid meds, he decided to leave the left lobe.

I am seeing new PCP Friday. Hope I can last that long...have so many other body pain and haywire feeling and weakness issues.

Made an appointment with an endocrinologist but soonest she could see me is late December.

There aren't many doctors in my area.

I'm starting to sweat more now also in last month. Also feel incredibly off-balance in the head. Can not stand or walk without keeping my arm out to hang on to something stationary or a wall. Have had this for many months.

I am just mystified by this off-balanceness. I was a concierge/bellman up until 10 months ago. Ran up and down two flights of stairs 30+ times a day...no problem.

All these symptoms have been put into the "anxiety" category so far.

I wake up feeling so sick about 1/2 to 2/3rds the time I feel like I am going to die. I mean sick. Nausea but never throw up. Feeling like blood leaves face and hands and I am just going to pass out and die. 1/2 of this time this dissipates "somewhat" around 4 to 5 hours later and I can run some errands. But this sick like I could just collapse feeling is also getting more frequent.

I have a female psycho-therapist...and she gives me the very strong impression also that what I am telling her is anxiety exaggerated.

I just sit so much now and wonder why the whole medical world seems crazy to me...and yet I seem crazy to them.

The world is crazy...just crazy.

I am 55. Never, ever in the 54 years before this have I ever felt like this and gone to doctors like crazy telling them I feel this bad. I do have anxiety attacks but I tell the doctors these usually come "after" I haven't slept for two days and nights and my body just seems to go into weakness, exhaustion/ panic mode from all these symptoms. They dismiss this...say it's the other way around.

When my body is feeling haywire inside and so bad it won't let me sleep. On most nights I am lucky to sleep 3 to 4 hours.

On bad nights, when my brain actually hits the sleep point something shocks my body and I wake right back up! This goes on all night.

Hi. I know what you mean. I have swelling feeling and feel like throat is clogged with "stuff" I can't cough up all time lately. I do choke when drinking frequently. Also I have lumps under my arms where I suppose my glands are. I could swear they weren't there before. Docs (and I don't even go now, I am so disgusted with them) always say my glands are not swollen. I think it may be my thyroid too as others have said. I take armour thyroid, and need a test but just don't know where to go anymore. Good luck to you. Penny

There is a type of syndrome called globus syndrome that can cause a tightening of the crichopharangeal muscle in the throat. I had this really bad a few years ago, and even from time to time when I am anxious, I get it, but not as severe as my first bout with it. It can make you feel like you can't swallow, and also can make you feel like you can't breathe. There is even a message board for people with this problem called "Lump in throat" or something like that on Yahoo message groups. A lot of people suffer from this and it is caused by anxiety.

My Dr. prescribed xanax for it and it totally relaxed that muscle and took the feeling away.